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Caterina Decksteel
:"She is a diligent woman, full of passion and vigor, and I enjoy her company immensely." :―Ishmael, describing Caterina to Jarot in a letter. Early Life Caterina Decksteel (1724 – unknown) was a Italian bookshop owner, and a literary enthusiast. Though born in the city of Rome, Sofia was forced to leave for Venice in 1726, when the Italian war began. Caterina eventually returned to her birthplace in 1739, in order to run a bookstore at the old trading post. In 1741, she met the Templar Ishmael Decksteel, the man who would eventually become her husband, and the father of their children. A polylingual, multicultural, and intelligent woman mature beyond her years, Caterina had a passion for literature, which fueled her decision to run her bookstore, in the hopes of sharing the democratizing effect she felt in books with others. Meeting Ishmael Caterina: "Who are you, messere (sir)?" Ishmael: "Only the most interesting man in your life." ―Caterina and Ishmael, in her bookshop. In 1741, Caterina returned to Italy from a trip to Forli, on the same boat as Ishmael Decksteel, the Member of the Templars. Unbeknownst to , the building of her bookshop had also once been the trading post of Templar Members, who had founded the Italy sect of the Templar Order. Caterina later met Ishmael Decksteel, who was in the midst of searching for the Masyaf keys. Suspecting the old trading post to contain some information of the keys' location, Ishmael searched Caterina's shop, and found a hidden passageway that led to the Yerebatan Cistern. After returning, Mel shared what he had found with Caterina: a map and one of the five Masyaf keys. The map he found included the location of rare books, which fascinated Caterina greatly. Ishmael believed that the books held clues to where the other keys were, so he asked Caterina if she could help him deduce the location of the books by deciphering the map for him. Caterina agreed, and in return, she asked Mel to let her borrow the books from him once he was done with them. The Templar subtly agreed, before leaving her shop. Marriage and Life Mel and Caterina were married in Venice after returning to England, to ensure the future of Caterina's bookshop, which was turned into both an archive for the Templars, and a bookshop run by Azize. Caterina and Mel then returned to Italy and traveled to London, where she met her father-in-law, Roger. Caterina was also with Mel when he made the announcement of his promotion, and passed the leadership. By this time, Caterina was pregnant with their daughter Margeant By 1744, the family settled down in a villa in York, thanks to the money from Caterina's bookshop. Caterina gave birth to both Margeant, and her son Ishmael Jr. by October of 1744. Personality Caterina was a hard-working woman, mature beyond her age. She often engaged with intellectual individuals, who she considered to be her equal in terms of intelligence. Whenever in business, she detested casual banter, though her wit and sense of humor outmatched any perceived coldness. She was often intrigued by the mysterious and ancient, such as the lost books listed on the Old's map, and the Masyaf key that Mel showed her. Caterina also had a deep appreciation for most architectural structures, literature, and art, and she was also very affectionate and romantic, as seen with her plan for Ishmael at the park near Hagia Caterina. Caterina was most passionate when it came to literature, a love further expanded after the invention of the printing press. She visited other countries to learn more about books and the printing press, and discovered much about the materials used in bookbinding, as well as several notable authors and literary works. Caterina had a thirst for knowledge, and a desire to spread what she knew and loved about books to the people of the Italian.